Alluri Sitarama Raju District Collector AS Dinesh Kumar held an interactive session titled Coffee with Collector at his camp office, urging tribal students to aspire to become Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers.
The session included students from Lochalaputtu Government Tribal Welfare Boys' Ashram School and Talarsingi English Medium School.
During the discussion, the collector shared his personal journey, recounting his background in a farming family from Mannur village near Chennai.
He explained how he pursued a degree in computer science engineering before preparing for the Civil Services. He highlighted the competitive nature of the Civil Services exams, which see participation from 12 to 13 lakh candidates across the country, and the importance of ranking in securing roles such as IAS, Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Forest Service (IFS), and Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The collector emphasised the need for students to recognise the hard work of their parents and support them. He encouraged the students to focus on education, reading beyond textbooks to improve their knowledge and skills.
To aid their learning, he distributed dictionaries and general knowledge books, urging the students to develop strong reading habits. Additionally, the collector shared his personal interests, including cricket and badminton, and spoke to students about their own extracurricular activities.
He also announced that the Coffee with Collector programme will be held regularly every Saturday to motivate students to pursue excellence in their academic and personal growth. Tribal Welfare Department In-charge Deputy Director L Rajini, school staff, and students were present.
